Museums

In a song lyric, the exact phrasing of which we can’t repeat here, West once inquired as to whether listeners have had romantic inclinations toward a Pharaoh. Well, we all know what’s under that tough, 24-karat-gold exterior: a well-rested mummy, limping around and moaning “Haaaaaanh?!” between witty verses.

Start with a handy, Halloween-themed Morphsuit (toilet paper will suffice in a pinch, and you can prank your neighbor’s house with the leftovers). Layer on all-black biker gear—it’s safe to say Kanye and co. have transitioned out of the prep phase and into a goth-ninja motif. Finish with a back pain-inducing chain in the likeness of an Egyptian god, and you’re ready to hit tonight’s Halloween parties. Lambo optional—but try not to pull up in a Taurus.

The Ivy Styleexhibit at The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) is ongoing through January 5, 2013, giving you plenty of time to make your way to New York City to observe this immaculate collection of menswear, old and new, firsthand.

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in the NYC area on November 8-9, in particular, we recommend reserving a seat at Ivy Style: A Fashion Symposium. The Museum at FIT has recruited a dream-team lineup of speakers for this two-day talk on all things prep: Michael Bastian, the CFDA’s 2011 Menswear Designer of the Year; family descendants of Ivy meccas J. Press and Chipp Clothiers; experts on British Ivy, Japanese Ivy and Black Ivy [see one of our favorite blogs, Street Etiquette, put their spin on the latter topic here]; and even authors of renowned menswear blogs The Daily Prep, Maxminimus, and The Trad.

The Ivy aficionado we’d be most excited to hear speak, though, is Mr. G. Bruce Boyer, a preeminent voice in menswear for more than 35 years, as well as a special consultant and co-curator of the Ivy Style exhibit. A prolific author (and a style icon in his own right), you can learn more about Boyer and get a glimpse of his work on The Sartorialist, A Continuous Lean (via the Ivy Style blog), and in the video below, courtesy of Put This On.